An international team of experienced hikers, 832km all across Armenia in 40 days. Taking off from Lake Arpi and ending the hike at the southern getaway of country- Meghri. All this to celebrate the successful completion of the development of the Transcaucasian Trail route across the country.
The Transcaucasian Trail (TCT) is a world-class, long-distance hiking trail of more than 3,000km in length, following the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains and connecting roughly two dozen national parks and protected areas in the region. The TCT has been developed by three partner organizations: the U.S.-based Transcaucasian Trail Association, the TCT Armenia NGO, and the TCT Georgia NGO.
Text : Margarit Mirzoyan
The team will visit 6 regions of Armenia by passing an average of 25km a day, hiking, and camping together. The hiker’s community members, who supported the team in the development of the trail route will be joining the team along the way.
The hiking route runs through 4 mountains, 2 lakes, 2 valleys, and 6 cities. It passes by the mountains of Pambak, Geghama, Azhdahak, Khustup, enabling the hikers to witness the beauty of Arpi and Sevan lakes, visit Arevik, and Dilijan National Parks, as well as the Javakh Watershed, Dzoraget Gorge, and Debed Canyon.
The Noravank and Tatev Monasteries, as well as Yeghegis and Arax Valleys, Arpa and Vorotan Rivers, are another “competitive advantage” of the TCT. Finally, the route will also run through the cities of Stepanavan, Dilijan, Yeghegnadzor, Jermuk, Sisian, Meghri.
Overall, the project aims to increase the economic opportunities for local communities by providing low-impact access to cultural sites and protected areas in the region. When mapping the trail historic routes between villages and cultural monuments have been explored and identified by the Transcaucasian Trail Armenia NGO, as well as new construction projects to connect these historic trails together have been introduced. The trail is also an archaeological route that brings the history of Armenia to life and puts the country on the world-class hiking map.
The expedition team includes the route developers, the founders of the Transcaucasian Trail Association, TCT Georgia NGO, and the leading character of the ‘Janaparh’ TV series Roffi Petrosian.
Once the pilot hike is over, the route will be made available to the public to allow others to experience this unforgettable journey. You may follow the hike in real-time through the social media channels of the Transcaucasian Trail and by the following hashtags: #transcaucasiantrail #armeniathruhike.
